2016 Lighting Trends

Let there be (beautiful, trendy) light. Choosing the right lighting may not make or break a room; however, the right choice will truly bring a room to new design heights. Lighting can add drama, interest, and most importantly, uniqueness to any room in your home. After reading this list of lighting trends for 2016, we have a feeling you won't be able to resist at least an update or two.

BRASS IS BACK

After years of dominance by the dark, dense Oil Rubbed Bronze, movement is finally underfoot for a brighter option. Toned down coppers, satin brass and gold-hued metals are being seen in both lighting and accessories for the home. Natural Brass is an oxidized finish, where the electro-chemical oxidization is removed with buffing wheels, leaving a beautifully grained, brighter bronze coloration. This lighter finish works well in virtually every style category. Look for Natural Brass to become the dominant lighting and home interior finish in the coming years.

BLACK & CHROME

Nothing had faded from favor more quickly than Oil-rubbed bronze in the bathroom. Chrome and its sister finish, Polished Nickel, are now dominating bathrooms from plumbing to lighting. For trend-forward consumers, expect to see a growing demand for Black. A number of plumbing suppliers and bathroom fixture manufactures are using more and more black, alone and in combination with Chrome and White. This growing demand for Black is also finding its way into the kitchen, where Black Stainless Steel is finally cutting into the over-decade long domination of Stainless Steel. Black Stainless is drawing favor because of its “fingerprint-proof” surface and most major appliance firms now have at least one product category filled with this emerging finish. Expect more kitchen product, like bathroom that combine Black with Chrome.

LED ILLUMINATION

The Department of Energy predicts that by 2030, LED will illuminate over 75% of ALL lighting in America! LED's lifetime performance will transform lighting into more of an appliance and designers will use more "hidden" light sources. Expect to see lighting over, inside, below, in-walls, in-ceilings and behind structures of a home. Fewer surface mounted products will be used as this dominance takes hold. This will be an amazing transformation for residential light!

MATERIAL FUSION

Lighting manufacturers are combining materials to create stunning works of art that are also functions. This fusion of materials and patterns is creating contemporary lighting options that make a statement. Combinations of wood, stones, industrial metals, metallics, brass, and gold are shaking up traditional lighting. You'll see organic and natural materials fused with cool metals, stone combined with textiles and even multiple metals in one piece.

NEW COLOR & HEIGHTS IN OUTDOOR LIGHT

The exterior of our homes has been dominated by browns for at least fifteen years. More and more builders are experimenting and finding favor with an outdoor gray tone shift. Responding to this, expect more demand for Black and Gray-variation finishes that more clearly blend with the trend shift. In addition to color, proportions have been shifting. Outdoor lighting MUST now be taller. The shift to 9’-0”, 10’-0” and even 12’-0” interior ceiling heights has resulted in taller outdoor elevations. Typically-sized lighting of the past looks out of place on new architecture. The same rings true with multi-story townhouse architecture. Think taller, slimmer for outdoor lighting.